Liquor Control Committee Holds What May Be Its Last Meeting

As LCC meetings go, the July meeting was unusually lively and interesting, a great way to go out of business, because the committee may not exist much longer. Mayor Jim Ellison indicated that the LCC will be dissolved soon, perhaps at the CITCOM meeting to be described below this report. Commissioner David Poulton chaired the meeting; Commissioner Mike Fournier was the second member; Ellison was replacing former Commissioner Pat Capello.

A Public Hearing was held re the request of John and Jack Hanna for a new Redevelopment District Class C Liquor License and a Catering Permit for a new business to be located at 316 West Fourth. The Hannas' excellent reputation as outstanding corporate citizen and their early role in rejuvenating the dead downtown of the 1980s made it easy to receive approval.

The other agenda items concerned such things as allowing dancing on the second level of Cantina Diablo, based on promises that there will never be dancing simultaneously both downstairs and upstairs. . . . A request by Lily's for an outside patio, not straight-line cafe. . . . Lily's also requested a change in hours of operation, as did Cafe Muse, which also requested and outside patio. . . . I became confused when the owners of Lily's and Cafe Muse spoke, I think, of integrating their outside plans. Of great concern is how two patios would affect pedestrian traffic on that stretch of Washington.

I think the decision was to approve the requested changes in Plan of Operation but to hold off on approving the patios, particularly because both Planning and Engineering oppose them.

Of human interest were Ellison being at his best in providing context to several of the discussions; Fournier's repeated  focus on specific details, such as making sure the city policy of giving the Police Department to unilaterally terminate a dance for due cause applies to the second dance floor; Poulton was both  traditional, sticking to his long-time question: "Is this really unique?" during one discussion and more relaxed, "Let's not recommend or deny tonight" in another.

The three commissioners mostly focused on the practical, rather than the hypothetical. One example: when the 30/70 percent mix of alcohol to food income came up, Ellison summarized (paraphrased): "In real life, the actual ratio is difficult to calculate, and if the business is well run the ratio is irrelevant."

Frank Versagi is the editor of Versagi Voice.